


Men In Black AU

by TheEnigmaMachine



Category: Men in Black (Movies), Sonic the Hedgehog (2020), Sonic the Hedgehog - All Media Types
Genre: Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-07
Updated: 2020-06-07
Packaged: 2021-03-03 21:27:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,843
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24592291
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheEnigmaMachine/pseuds/TheEnigmaMachine
Summary: An AU set in the Sonic (2020) universe where Sonic instead joins the Men in Black. Metal Sonic is made by MIB as a weapon, and the two of them work together. After a particularly hard mission, Sonic turns to Metal for comfort.
Relationships: Metal Sonic/Sonic the Hedgehog
Comments: 7
Kudos: 32





	Men In Black AU

The worst part about walking was the fact his feet kept sticking to the ground. No, not his shoes. It was his feet that were sticking. That was because his shoes had already gotten impossibly fused to the ground miles before here, and then he had to make the rest of the trek barefoot.

Oh sure, maybe someone else at MIB could have driven him back, but that wasn’t going to happen, not when Sonic was covered in Garfulsian Soursax slime. Something about the slime fusing with the car seats and being impossible to remove. Sonic couldn’t exactly begrudge this—the slime _was_ impossible to remove.

Which made the fact his fur was absolutely coated in it that much worse.

All the other agents stayed far away from him as he walked down the long, long corridor of the MIB headquarters. Again, not that he could blame them. Even under two inches of slime, Sonic could tell how badly he smelled.

A voice called out to him. “Agent S? Is that you?”

It was Agent R, the mission dispatcher. She was a stern, human woman who appeared to be at least a million years old. Rumor had it she had been quite an adept field agent in her younger days, which Sonic figured had to predate the invention of electricity.

“What, you blind, R? Don’t you know a Faltuscian Slime Larva when you see one?” Sonic would have facepalmed, but that only threatened to spill even more slime into his already watering eyes, so instead he settled for communicating sarcasm by merely tilting his head to the side. He wasn’t sure it was a very effective gesture. 

Then he groaned. “It really is that bad, huh?”

“That bad? S, you’re lucky you got out of that mission alive,” R said. She pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose. “I think you’re one of the only agents to be eaten by a Garfulsian Soursax and live to tell about it.”

Sonic shut his eyes. The situation was easier to tolerate when he didn’t have to look at it. “Yeah well, let’s just say there are fates worse than death.”

“S. Listen to me,” R’s voice was quiet now. “You’ve been through a lot today. Go through decon and then take the rest of the week off.”

Sonic’s eyes flew open. “Week off? In the middle of the Garvlax Civil War? You know we can’t afford to--”

“You’re taking the rest of the week off. That’s an order.” R sat back down in her chair, her face grimacing as she caught wind of Sonic. “But do us all a favor and go clean up first.”

Turning back to her paperwork, she waved at Sonic with the back of her hand. “You’re dismissed.”

Sonic sighed loud enough to send a passive-aggressive message, then turned, trudging back to the corridor that led to the decontamination chamber.

The MIB Headquarters was filled with hundreds of agents, each working diligently at their tasks. While many were humans, there were also aliens like Sonic working here too. Well, not exactly like Sonic. Sonic was still the only of his kind that he had ever seen. Even MIB itself didn’t have anything on him.

And when the most secretive agency on the entire planet didn’t know who you were, well, chances were you had no idea how to answer that question yourself either.

After a long, sticky walk, Sonic finally made it to the decon room. It was a steel door emblazoned with an obnoxiously yellow quarantine symbol.

Sonic closed his eyes again. He remembered the last time he had to go through this thing. He had been sprayed with so many chemicals that he lost his sense of taste for an entire month and having chili dogs taste the same as Styrofoam was not an experience he was in a hurry to relive.

“Sonic.”

Sonic’s eyes shot open. How long had he been standing there? And had someone just said his real name? Only one person knew his real name.

Sonic would have spun around, but his feet were cemented to the floor, and so he had to settle for turning his head.

There, standing right next to him was Metal Sonic.

“M-mets? What are you doing here? You know we can’t be seen together--”

“Seen together? Your scent alone drove away everyone in this quadrant.” Metal gestured to the empty corridor around them. Then he pointed to the decon chamber. “Are you truly about to enter there?”

“I was supposed to, but--”

“Good. I have an alternative plan.”

Without any regard to his own sanitation, Metal grabbed Sonic’s slime-covered arm with an uncomfortable squish. Then he started walking further down the hallway, dragging Sonic behind him.

“H-hey! Come on, Mets, stop! Where are you taking me?”

Metal stopped abruptly. A dusty, old door stood before them.

Sonic squinted, reading the sign on the door. “Weapons Bay? You mean your place?”

Metal nodded. “No one is scheduled to come in here for at least two hours. We shall have plenty of time.”

“Plenty of time? For what?”

Metal pushed open the door with the palm of his hand. “Unless you want to wait until that slime dries and adheres to your fur even more, I think you know what.”

And before Sonic could respond, Metal dragged him inside and closed the door behind them with the back of his heel.

Like much of the rest of MIB headquarters, the weapons bay was neat and sterile. It was also deserted. For the Weapons Bay that housed Metal Sonic had the more destructive weapons. It housed things that were needed only in the direst of scenarios, and so it was rarely frequented.

In the corner of the room stood a large sink. It was large for a human, but given Sonic’s smaller size, it could double as a bath. Metal had clearly already planned this out, for there were a chair and assorted bottles of soaps by the sink.

Metal dragged Sonic over to the sink and set him down in the chair.

When Sonic sat down, the slime on his body adhered him to the chair with an audible squish. Sonic grimaced.

Although the emotion would have been missed by anyone else, concern crept into Metal’s face. He then picked up a large, wire-bristle brush and moved behind Sonic.

Careful not to touch Sonic’s skin, Metal sunk the wire brush through the slime and into Sonic’s quills. He then pulled it down slowly, forcing the slime to slough away onto the floor.

Sonic winced. Even if Metal was being as gentle as he could be, the tension still hurt his scalp.

As if to distract him, Metal then asked, “So tell me—what is the story this time?”

Sonic sighed. “As if it makes a difference what happened ‘this time.’ It may as well have been every time. You know, for a job that’s supposed to be as interesting as this one, it’s amazing how much of it ends up being the same.

“But anyway, you know how it goes. You’re fighting a Garfulsian Soursax, and the outside shell of those things may as well be made of rock ‘cuz you’re not getting through that, not even with your class D Atomizer. And so you think to yourself, well, maybe we can lure it into a trap. Force it to fall off a cliff or something. Then the impact would kill it despite the armor.

“But no. As always, some civilian has to go and get himself taken as a hostage. Then you’ve gotta go and let yourself get eaten so you can shoot it from the inside. I’m not the first agent who’s done that, you know. But you’ve gotta do what you gotta do to save the civilian.”

Metal tugged at Sonic’s quills, trying to remove a particularly stuck clump. “So I take it the civilian wasn't harmed?”

Sonic laughed, although it sounded more like a hollow cough than a laugh. “Harmed? Not this time, no. Well, only if you count going through decon then being neuralized unharmed. He was the lucky one though.”

Sonic buried his face into his palm. “They’re not always so lucky. That thing—that space slime rock. The Garfulsian Soursax. It...it had already been on a rampage. They’re still trying to tally up the causalities but...it had to have been at least half a dozen people. I saw it myself.”

Metal stopped brushing, but Sonic continued. “And you know what the worst part is? The family members will never know the truth. We’re gonna have to tell them their loved ones were lost in a car crash with an industrial waste truck. And then they’ll go live their entire lives thinking that’s what happened. Not that their relatives were eaten by a giant space slug.”

“Sonic,” Metal’s voice was very quiet. “Sometimes lying is mercy. Is it not better to think your loved one died of natural causes? It is less shock. They will grieve, yes, but their normal lives will return easier with the lie.”

Sonic said nothing.

With Sonic’s back and quills as clean as they could be with the brush, Metal stepped around to face Sonic in front of the chair. He held his hand out. Sonic simply stared at it for a moment. Then he sighed and peeled off his suit as best he could. He placed his arm in Metal’s palm, letting Metal scrape away the slime on his arm.

Sonic finally sighed. “You’re right, you’re right. We have to keep this stuff a secret. It’s the only way people can go about their normal lives, and anyway...”

Metal scraped the slime from Sonic’s other arm.

Sonic continued. “...This is the only way we can keep me a secret too, huh?”

Metal nodded. “You are correct. If there is anywhere on the planet that can keep you a secret, it is the MIB.”

Sonic bit his lip as Metal continued to brush the slime off his legs. And now that the slime had been scrapped off him, Sonic felt just a little bit better, if only because he was no longer coated in 30 pounds of sludge. It still wasn’t perfect though. A light layer of slime clung to his skin like plastic wrap.

Metal turned to the sink and turned on the water. After letting it run to get warm, he turned back around and picked Sonic up.

“W-wha—hey, at least give me some warning!” Sonic protested.

“My apologies,” Metal said flatly. “But this slime is not going to remove itself.”

And with that, Metal gingerly set Sonic into the water.

Sonic let out a sigh as the warm water lapped against his skin. “How are you gonna get this off, anyway? It’s not like soap is gonna help.”

“Slime is an alkaline. And to remove an alkaline, you need an acid.”

Sonic’s eyes widened. “Acid?”

Metal held up a bottle of apple cider vinegar. “Yes. An acid.”

And without another word, Metal began pouring the vinegar over Sonic’s head. Sonic winced as the cool, astringent liquid assaulted his nose.

Using a soft bristle brush, Metal began to work the vinegar into Sonic’s skin. It was much more comfortable this time, and Sonic let out a contented sigh as the vinegar emulsified the slime.

“You know Longclaw, right, Mets? She was my, uh, adopted mother I guess. Back in my old world, I mean.”

Sonic winced. He still couldn’t remember the actual name of the planet he came from. And until he remembered the name, there was no way to visit it again. Not with his rings and not with MIB’s spaceships.

“You have told me about her before, yes,” Metal replied, working the brush softly against Sonic’s skin. “What of her?”

“Well, before she sent me here, she told me...told me that I needed to stay hidden. That this was the only way to stay safe. That I had great powers, and if I didn’t stay safe, then some people, well, they’d try to use those powers for their own gains.”

Metal beeped in affirmation. “You have told this to me before, yes. But what of it?”

“Sometimes...” Sonic winced. He had thought this many times, but he had never said it aloud. “Sometimes I wonder...using my powers...isn’t that...isn’t that what MIB is doing? They keep me hidden, sure. But when something bad happens, I’m always the first one they call. It’s like I’m just here to put out any fire they throw at me, you know?”

Sonic sighed. “Isn’t that what Longclaw warned me about?”

“Sonic...” Metal set down the brush and instead picked up Sonic’s hand. He pressed Sonic’s palm to his own, letting their fingers interweave. “MIB may have its rules and bureaucracy, it is true. But what you do for them is different. You are saving the planet, Sonic. It is not as if they are using your powers for their own gain. You are protecting the Earth from the alien forces that wish to do her harm.”

“Yeah, I guess you’re right there.” Sonic closed his eyes. He imagined everyone on the planet. The shop owners in NYC. The office workers in San Francisco. The townsfolk that populated the small settlements across the country. Those people all could live their lives in peace and safety because of what Sonic did. “It’s just...easy to forget sometimes.”

A weak smile crept across Sonic’s face. “Especially inside the stomach of a Garfulsian Soursax stomach.”

Metal popped the drain on the sink. The slime water drained out the bottom, and once it was gone, Metal began gently spraying Sonic with the sink head. Vinegar water and slime rinsed off Sonic’s body and into the drain.

Once he had been washed off, Metal wrapped a towel around Sonic. He rubbed Sonic’s body, whisking away the majority of the water. Then he wrapped the towel around Sonic’s shoulders.

“You need to rest. Come, I will take you to your room.”

Before Sonic had time to protest, Metal lifted him up, carrying Sonic bridle-style. Leaving the weapons bay a disaster, Metal approached the door.

A harsh siren blared through the air, and Sonic’s ears flicked back against his head.

Metal tightened his grip against Sonic. “The air raid alarm. It is not a drill. All hands are required--”

Before Metal could finish, Sonic leaped out of Metal’s arms. He grabbed Metal’s hand, rushing toward the door.

“We’ve gotta hurry!” Sonic kicked the door open and burst into the hallway. “This means we have to--”

“It means you have to stop right there.”

Sonic froze. He knew that voice very well.

With a pained grimace, Sonic turned around to see Agent R standing behind him. She pointed to the trail of slime footprints leading into the weapons bay.

“Come now, S. If you’re going to play hooky, at least _try_ and clean up the evidence.”

Sonic’s eyes widened in panic. “T-this isn’t what it looks like. I can explain--”

Agent R folded her arms. “S. You know the protocol. Relationships between agents are strictly forbidden.”

Sonic tightened his grasp on Metal’s hand. He knew that rule all too well. The last time it had happened, MIB had restationed both agents apart from one another across the planet. There was just no tolerance for it. MIB had to be at its best to fight what threatened Earth, and romantic relationships were a distraction at best, a powderkeg of interpersonal drama at worst.

“B-but--” Sonic was grasping at straws. He quickly dropped Metal’s hand. “We were just, uh, you know...training…? Yeah, training! Together!”

Agent R narrowed her gaze. “I do not tolerate being lied to, S. I’ve known the truth about you two for months. You are not very good at hiding it.”

Sonic’s expression dropped, dread overtaking him.

“But,” R continued, “Metal Sonic isn’t an agent. He is a weapon. So...I suppose this isn’t technically a breach of protocol.”

Hope returned to Sonic’s face. “R-really?”

R nodded. “Yes. So I suppose I can overlook this.”

Sonic went to cheer, but R cut him off.

“...on one condition.”

“One condition?”

“Yes.” R pointed to the alarms blaring above their heads. “You are on vacation, remember? So go back to your room. You’re sitting this one out.”

Sonic went to protest, but Metal cut him off. “You heard her, Agent S. It is a direct order from your superior. And you do not want to be insubordinate.”

R nodded. “He’s a smart robot. One of our best weapons. Wouldn’t you agree, Agent S?”

Any words that Sonic may have said escaped him.

“Now,” R gestured to the hallway that lead to the barracks. “You know what to do.”

And before Sonic had a chance to reply, Metal took his hands and dragged him away with a speed that even Sonic didn’t have time to react to. He quickly got to Sonic’s dorm room, and with a swift motion, he dragged them both inside and kicked the door shut.

“Metal, what are you--”

Metal’s lips pressed against Sonic’s mouth. Sonic’s eyes widened, and yet he was in no position to protest, not with the effect that Metal always had on him. It was the fact Metal’s lips were somehow firm, yet soft, warm, and just slightly cool. And when they pressed against his own lips, the only thing Sonic could do was tilt his head and meet Metal halfway.

Sonic’s body eased, the tension running out of him. He began to slacken in Metal’s grip, leaning into Metal as Metal kept him there with his lips and running his hand down Sonic’s back.

Finally, Metal withdrew, leaving Sonic slightly stunned against the wall.

“Never again,” Metal spat. “We were too careless. If R had not been so lenient, that would have been it. It would have been over.”

He balled his fists. “They would have split us apart.”

Sonic rubbed the side of his head. The thought struck him that it was somewhat rude of Metal to simply kiss him and then go back to sulking. As far as Sonic figured, if he had been eaten by a Garfulsian Soursax and lived to tell about it, then he deserved at least three kisses, preferably four.

“But they didn’t, yeah? So that’s all that matters, really.” Sonic yawned. His bed sat tucked in the corner. While it was small by human standards, for Sonic, it was practically a king. Without conscious intention, he walked over to it. Then he fell down, landing face-first on the pillow. He mumbled something at Metal.

Metal sighed. “You are ridiculous, you know that?”

Metal sat down by Sonic’s side, resting his head on his palm. With his other hand, he stroked the small of Sonic’s back. “Utterly ridiculous.”

Sonic groaned. Despite the aches in his body, he crawled into Metal’s lap, sitting comfortably tucked under Metal’s chin. “Ridiculously irresistible, you mean.”

He kissed the bottom of Metal’s chin. “That’s why you can’t keep your hands off me.”

Metal wrapped one arm around Sonic’s waist. He set the other on top of Sonic’s head. “I repeat, utterly ridiculous.”

He kissed Sonic’s ear softly. “I am glad though. That R made you rest, I mean. You have been pushing yourself for months now. I am not sure how much more you could have taken.”

“Pfft, what, me? Nah, I’m unstoppable. I can do anything.”

“True that may be. And yet, I saw the look in your eyes when you had gotten back. You were on the verge of resigning, were you not?”

Sonic sighed. His back still hurt, so he uncurled himself, letting his head rest on Metal’s legs. “...yeah. If I’m honest, I had...well, I was considering it.”

He stared at the ceiling. Pale, stainless steel paneling lined the room in a perfect sheet, like a cloth draped over a bowel.

“I guess it was just the stress, huh? I mean, it’s not like I’d actually resign. Not just cuz I can’t, really. But because I don’t want to.”

Sonic turned, his stomach now against the bed. Metal noticed the cue and began running his fingers through the quills on Sonic’s back.

Sonic tried to suppress the purr as he continued. “When I first came to Earth, I was alone. I had to be. I had to hide. There was no one there for me. Heck, it got so bad that I started to stalk this dude and his wife, imagining they were my parents or something.”

Sonic chuckled. He wondered how those two were doing now anyway. It’s not like he ever had the chance to meet them.

“That’s when MIB found me. They were shocked I had managed to stay hidden for so long. They gave me a choice then. I could either stay hidden, stay alone, forever…”

Sonic trailed off, taking the moment to enjoy the sensation of Metal’s fingers in his back quills. How much he had longed for this when he had been alone in Green Hills.

“...or I could come here and join them. They said there would be others like me. They hadn’t been exactly right there. Hundreds of aliens across the planet and none of them knew where I’m from.”

Sonic closed his eyes. He wondered how Longclaw was doing and if she was even still alive.

“So it’s not a bad deal, really. I get to be here, I get to be with other people. I get to be with you.”

Sonic leaned up, placing a soft kiss on Metal’s lips. Then he lowered himself back down, tilting his head so Metal had access to his quills.

“...and I can’t really complain about that.”

Metal moved his hand upward, tracing Sonic’s spine to the base of his neck. “You miss her, don’t you?”

Sonic bit his lip, closing his eyes. “...Yeah. I do. I just...want to know if she’s okay.”

Gingerly, Metal wrapped his arms around Sonic and pulled him against his chest. Sonic let his head rest on Metal’s shoulders.

“Someday Sonic, we shall find a way to visit your old world again. I promise.”

Sonic tightened his grip on Metal’s back. “You really think so?”

“I know so. The galaxy is a big place, and MIB’s top researchers are trying to figure out the location of your old planet every day. They’ll find something eventually. But for now...”

Metal laid down, taking Sonic with him under the covers of the bed. “You need to get some rest.”

Sonic sighed. His eyelids did feel heavy, and the way Metal was holding him was just so comfortable.

“Yeah, you’re right.” Sonic pressed his face into Metal’s chassis. His eyes flickered shut.

“Uh, Metal?”

“Yes, Sonic?”

Sonic closed his eyes. “I love you.”

Metal ran his fingers through Sonic’s quills. “I love you too. Now, sleep well.”

And with that, Sonic’s consciousness drifted into a peaceful slumber, Metal’s arms as comfortable as the bed he grew up in.


End file.
